


The Tattooed Lily

by leontina (Leontina)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Bipolar Disorder, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 18:12:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5215682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leontina/pseuds/leontina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Voldemort’s first defeat triggered a deadly curse that sent witches and wizards to the skies. Sirius captains an airship which is attacked by an enemy crew one day - and someone unexpected gets left behind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Tattooed Lily

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the RS Games 2015
> 
> Inspired by the song 'Great Wide Open' by Tom Petty

“Full speed ahead!” Sirius commanded of his crew, from his position perched on a bar near the top of the mast, watching the wide open, blue skies ahead.

He grinned as the crew immediately jumped into action, some climbing the netting to adjust the sails, and others jumping below deck to throw more coal into the fire. The airship had been built with magic, but it was steam that truly gave The Tattooed Lily her power. She was named, of course, after the late Lily Potter, but also for the artwork that they had spraypainted the vessel with before they set for the skies.

It had been almost eight years since the land became unsafe for them to live on. Nobody knew quite how it happened - a terrible, Dark curse was the most likely theory - but what they did know was that it started with Voldemort. Sirius knew that for a fact, because he had been there when it first started. 

He had gone to Godric’s Hollow after finding Peter’s flat empty, and discovered the Potter residence in ruins. There had been Lily’s dark red hair vibrant amongst the rubble, James lying near the front with wide, lifeless eyes, and Hagrid standing in the middle with a baby - a living baby - in his arms.

Sirius had been arguing with Hagrid, trying to convince him to hand over Harry, when it happened. A third body rose from the bricks and dust, limp and skeletal, with the eyes rolled back in its head. Hagrid and Sirius stared, until the body - Voldemort’s - opened its mouth with a slack jaw in a silent scream as golden light burst through from under his skin like a fog.

Sirius had felt an uncomfortable tugging on his magic, so he did the one thing he didn’t regret about that night - he grabbed Harry and Disapparated.

Sirius stayed in hiding with Harry, listening to the Wizarding Wireless Network as strange reports came in. The golden fog was spreading, suffocating Muggles and turning wizard’s magic against them to poison them. People were advised to stay inside, but then the fog started seeping through the gaps in the windows and walls, so the smart ones moved underground.

It was in an underground base that Sirius met up with Aberforth Dumbledore and Madam Rosmerta, who would later become important members of the crew. It was Aberforth who’d heard from his brother that witches and wizards were taking to the skies in ships that had been charmed to fly. Sirius knew that would soon be their only option; the only way they could escape the poisonous fog. 

So he went on a mission to recruit people who knew how to build, but also people who knew how to steal, and how to live rough, because he knew nobody else would give them a chance and would therefore earn himself their loyalty.

And together they made, painted, and charmed The Tattooed Lily, and took to the skies where they flew around in the open, hovering far above the golden fog that hid the land from their view. 

All the surviving magical people had ended up doing the same thing, some of them journeying like Sirius and his crew, and others staying stationary and setting up shops and community services in the sky. It was a rough existence, and softness was not an option - people did anything to survive. 

Eight years later, though, and Sirius’s crew was still going strong. He had all the originals: Aberforth, his reluctant advisor; Rosmerta, his second-in-command and one-time lover until she told him that sex wouldn’t cure his emotional issues and she wasn’t going to let him hide like that; Pravin, a talented and incredibly clever wizard from India who had moved to Britain but had been shunned by others simply because he wasn’t British himself; Ezra and Ophelia, twin brother and sister who used to be homeless beggars on Diagon Alley; and Esi; a step-cousin of James on his mother’s side, who’d been visiting from Ghana when James was killed. 

Sirius had picked up several other crew members since the beginning, the most recent of which were young brothers Bill and Charlie Weasley; Charlie hadn’t long turned seventeen. They were after an adventure, and Sirius didn’t mind their eagerness; they reminded him of himself and James when they had been young, plus they both got on well with Harry after growing up with several younger siblings.

Harry, of course, not just being the beloved, nine-year-old godson of Sirius, but also the person on-board whom every single crew member simply adored. It was hard not to love Harry, who was never seen without his aviator hat with goggles perched on top, and who reminded the crew of happier times. Esi wasn’t blood related to Harry, but she had taken it upon herself to take care of Harry along with Sirius, which was a big help on days when Sirius couldn’t face getting out of bed - he didn’t think his grief would ever truly fade.

But feelings of sadness, guilt, and anger weren’t going to stop Sirius from living. They had been flying for eight years and not seen land once - Harry couldn’t even remember what it was like not to live in the sky - but Sirius lived for the hope that one day he’d see the fog clear.

Until then, the sky was theirs to explore, wide open with possibilities.

***

The bazaar was made up of a large set of floating platforms, filled with market stalls that were covered in different coloured fabric, and had yellow, green, and red flags strung up high going across the walkway. 

“Don’t let go of my hand, Harry,” Sirius said firmly as he stepped off the airship with him. 

Harry was jumping on the balls of his feet, trying to get a good look at the bazaar, so he didn’t notice Sirius turn his head slightly to nod at Ezra and Ophelia. Ophelia winked at him, gesturing for some of the crew to follow them in an opposite direction to Sirius.

“Can I get sweets, Sirius?” Harry asked sweetly, looking up at Sirius with a massive grin on his face.

“Sweets will rot your teeth, Harry,” Esi murmured, sending a sharp glare at a drunkard who wolf-whistled at her. 

Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Sirius again, pleadingly.

Sirius had never been able to resist those puppy-eyes. “If you behave, and only if you promise to share with Esi; sweets might put her in a good mood.”

The bazaar was packed with people. While some sold items at fair prices, some people survived by begging or selling stolen goods, while others spent all their time drinking until the days and nights blurred into one. Prostitutes were known to linger on the outskirts, and a mind-altering potions trade was rife amongst vendors and customers alike.

Despite the roughness, however, the bazaar also had wondrous sights. Fabrics and clothing in every colour imaginable brightened up the cramped stalls, and jewellery twinkled in the sunlight. Food never tasted the same as it had on land as it was grown and made with mostly magic, but the scent was still the same; deliciously mouth-watering blends of spices wafting through the crowd. 

“Sirius, I want that!” Harry announced, pulling Sirius towards a stall covered in children’s toys. 

The toy Harry had been attracted to was a wooden carving of a man sitting on a broomstick, and Sirius felt a pang of longing towards James as he looked at it. Esi placed her hand on Sirius’s shoulder, easily recognising what his body language meant after all the years spent together. 

Sirius fished for a golden coin from his leather pouch, tossing it to the vendor and pulling Harry away before he spotted anything else he wanted. 

They stopped to eat some Bessara - a Moroccan soup - before heading back to the airship. It was never a good idea to spend more time than necessary at the bazaar, because the more time there the more likely it was that a mugging would occur. Sky living wasn’t easy, and people resorted to any means necessary to survive.

They were almost at the airship when Sirius felt Harry get tugged away from him, disappearing instantly into the crowd.

Sirius instinctively grabbed the people in front of him to shove them roughly out of the way, snarling when he saw a short, shabbily dressed wizard trying to lead Harry away - Mundungus Fletcher, Sirius recognised. He had heard rumours that Fletcher had become a people trafficker, but if that was true, he wasn’t going to be for much longer.

Sirius drew his wand and sent a hex at Fletcher’s head. The pain made him let go of Harry’s wrist, and Harry stomped on his foot and tried to shove him over, although he was too small to actually succeed. Harry looked around with wild eyes before spotting Sirius, running over to him and hugging his middle tightly while Esi stormed towards Fletcher.

“I’ve got you, kiddo,” Sirius said softly, mirroring the words he’d first said to Harry on that fateful night in Godric’s Hollow. “Let’s go back to the airship; Esi will be along soon.”

Pravin took Harry below deck when they returned; the less Harry saw of the crew’s deeds, the better.

“We have a guest coming,” Sirius announced to the rest of the crew once Harry was safely out of sight. “Mundungus Fletcher - a rumoured people trafficker, if you didn’t know - tried to snatch our Harry.”

The crew hissed, turning with dark eyes when Esi dragged the struggling man aboard.

“Sirius! Blimey, is that you?” Fletcher exclaimed, wincing when Esi dropped him at Sirius’s feet. “Not seen you for years!”

“Shame we meet again when you try to kidnap my kid,” Sirius growled, slamming his fist into his palm. The rest of the crew had drawn their wands on Fletcher; even the Weasley boys who weren’t used to encounters like this.

“Kidnap? No, you’ve got it all wrong,” Fletcher protested, trying to stand up but being kicked back down by Esi. “I thought the boy was lost, that’s all.”

Sirius raised a brow. “Lost holding my hand?” The airship had sailed far enough from the bazaar now, and though there were no laws in the sky, it was better to be away from witnesses. “Who wants to do the honours?”

Ezra put his hand up. “We’ll do it,” he said, glancing at his sister.

Ezra and Ophelia had been victims of people trafficking long ago, and they wore matching manic grins on their faces as they each took an arm and hauled Fletcher to his feet. They held on tight against Fletcher’s struggles, and didn’t hesitate as they opened the gate and pushed Fletcher off the edge.

Sirius and the crew watched with satisfied smiles as Fletcher screamed, falling until he vanished into the golden fog.

“Well, now that’s sorted,” Sirius said with a clap of his hands. “What loot did you all manage?”

***

The whole airship lurched as something blasted it in the side, too light to cause damage but heavy enough to make the meaning clear - attack was imminent.

“Enemy airship to the right!” Charlie hollered, climbing up the netting strung between the masts. “They’re getting closer!”

The crew members scrambled onto deck with wands in hand, tasks they’d been doing dropped and forgotten. Pravin brought Harry up from below deck where he’d been giving him magic lessons, waving Sirius over with one hand, the other holding Harry back from running over to the side to see what was going on. 

“Captain’s cabin?” Pravin suggested. “Safe but easily accessible if we need a quick exit.”

“Perfect,” Sirius agreed, swallowing heavily as the enemy airship approached with its sails painted black with grey rims. 

With no time to waste, Sirius grabbed Harry’s hand and dragged him to the captain’s cabin, ignoring Harry’s protests as he ushered him inside and locked the door behind him.

“Stay down,” Sirius said firmly as Harry’s face appeared at the window, green eyes flickering all around the deck. “I mean it, Harry - down.”

There were shouts as the crew from the other airship finally jumped upon The Tattooed Lily, but Sirius didn’t turn around until Harry’s face disappeared from the window. The crew would manage without him for a minute - they knew and respected that he would always put Harry before them. 

When Harry finally crouched down, Sirius turned around and was immediately lost in the battle.

The enemy’s crew were all shrouded in black robes, the hoods pulled high to disguise their faces. Only some were using wands; others were almost animalistic in nature, crouching on all fours to pounce, and clawing at Sirius’s crew with their hands.

Aberforth was set back from the others, lazily casting defensive spells when needed, but Sirius knew he was just biding his time; Aberforth wasn’t a Dumbledore for nothing, after all.

There were no green flashes in the spells cast, thank goodness, but nasty spells of red and dark blue flew across the deck. A crimson light just caught Sirius’s face, cutting his cheek, and he growled and sent a Stunning Hex at the caster. 

Ezra and Ophelia were taking on the physical attackers in hand-to-hand combat, while Pravin and Esi were using spells from their native languages which the opponents had no idea how to defend against. And as for the rest of the crew, Sirius included, they were ruthless, sending hex after hex, defending themselves when needed but their main goal was to drive away and attack - there was a reason that his crew had stayed strong for so many years.

Sirius cast a glance back towards the captain’s cabin, feeling his stomach drop when he saw Harry watching with wide eyes at the window.

“Down!” Sirius roared, and in that moment of distraction a blasting spell knocked him off his feet. 

His attacker jumped in front of him, the spell on his lips fading as he looked down at Sirius and froze. Sirius couldn’t see the man’s face, but he noticed the way the man’s fingers had begun to tremble slightly; fingers which were littered in small scars and had the tips painted red - one of the symbols of a werewolf crew. 

The man was gone suddenly, blasted away from Sirius by Rosmerta who offered him a hand to help him up.

“Watch yourself, Sirius,” Rosmerta warned. “No good watching out for Harry if you’re not gonna stick around yourself.”

Sirius rolled his eyes, sending a hex over her shoulder at a figure who had been ready to attack her.

“You’re welcome, Ros,” Sirius grinned, heading back to fight after noting with satisfaction that Harry had ducked from view again.

Aberforth was ready at last, and he walked onto the centre of the deck with his head held high, clutching his wand to his chest. The enemy crew paid him no heed, no doubt believing him to be an elderly man too old to be a threat - it was Aberforth’s aged appearance that always gave him the element of surprise.

Sirius’s crew, knowing what was about to happen, clapped their hands to their ears as silver light exploded from Aberforth’s wand, covering the airship in a heavy glow. Even with his ears covered, Sirius could still feel the slight pain and ringing that the enemy crew were obviously feeling in full if their groans of pain were anything to go by, and they retreated hastily back to their own boat and fled.

The crew cheered as the enemy airship flew away, and the silver light from Aberforth’s wand receded. 

“Is anyone hurt?” Sirius called out.

Most had minor hex injuries, but Bill Weasley had suffered the most, with long scratch marks on his face which were bleeding heavily. Aberforth and Pravin hurried to him, each of them offering an arm in support as they headed to the medical room below deck.

Esi opened the hatch for them, but before they could go down, Harry popped out.

Sirius had his hand on his hip as he watched Harry with a brow raised, and Harry flushed under the gaze of not just Sirius, but of the rest of the crew as well.

“The lock got opened,” Harry said sheepishly, twisting his foot against the floor. 

Harry was nine years old, and already giving James a run for his money.

Panging struck Sirius deeply, but he managed to plaster on a smile for Harry. 

But while Sirius thought of James everyday, today he had been forced to remember a friend he tried to forget, not knowing if he was dead, or alive but hating Sirius - Remus.

***

Some days, Sirius felt on top of the world. He felt invincible, like he could do anything he wanted and get away with it. On those days, it seemed like the world was spinning at a million miles an hour and he was able to keep up with it.

Other days, Sirius felt like he couldn’t keep up with the world, and he didn’t even deserve to. On those days he couldn’t even muster the energy to leave his bed, wallowing in grief, anger, and self-pity; plagued my memories of finding James and Lily in Godric’s Hollow that night. 

Sirius was currently in one of his down days, shutting himself inside his quarters and avoiding his crew as much as they’d allow him. He couldn’t even bear to see Harry sometimes, the sight of him just driving in the fact that Harry deserved a better guardian than Sirius. He loved Harry dearly, and loved being his godfather, but he wondered if Harry’s life would have been better if Remus had been named Harry’s godfather.

Sirius hadn’t thought about Remus in a long time. It wasn’t that Remus hadn’t been important enough to think about - quite the contrary - but it hurt too much. He didn’t even know if Remus was still alive, and if he was, he probably still thought Sirius had been the one to turn James and Lily over to Voldemort. 

There was a knock at his door, and Sirius sighed before calling the person in. He was surprised to see Aberforth standing in the doorway.

Sirius’s crew were very good with his up-and-down emotional state. Rosmerta would take over captaining, Esi would take charge of Harry, and the crew would carry on working without him. And they would never come to bother him - especially not Aberforth - unless it was important.

“Your boy’s been acting strange,” Aberforth said, never one to make polite small talk. He was a blunt man, but Sirius far preferred that compared to Albus’s vague metaphors -he’d definitely got the better Dumbledore brother. “Been hiding out in the pantry a lot.”

“I know,” Sirius admitted with another sigh. 

Esi, Pravin, Charlie, and Ezra had all come to tell Sirius that Harry was up to something, but Sirius had just assumed it was nothing; Harry was a good kid, if not a bit foolhardy at times, and it was probably just part of a game he had invented. But if Aberforth had come to tell Sirius so…

“I’ll go talk to him,” Sirius said, running a hand through his hair as he stood. Because no matter how down he felt about himself at times, Sirius could always force himself to act where Harry was involved; he’d made that promise to James. 

Crew members smiled and nodded at him encouragingly as he passed, making his way towards the pantry. He knocked on the door to it before he went in, giving warning but no time for Harry to hide anything he might be doing.

In almost an instant Harry’s head poked round the corner of one of the shelving units, his eyes wide and guilty - definitely up to something.

“Are you alright in here, kiddo?” Sirius asked gently, allowing the door to shut softly behind him. 

Harry nodded, shuffling into view and keeping his eyes downcast; he never was good at hiding things.

“I’m ok,” Harry said, looking up at Sirius thoughtfully. “Why are you growing a beard? It looks funny.”

Sirius absently rubbed his chin which was thick with stubble due to his lack of shaving in the previous days. Harry didn’t like the bearded look on him, much like James had disliked it in the past; Remus had appreciated the look, though, telling Sirius he looked much more rugged.

“I still need to have a shave,” Sirius explained, looking past Harry to see if anything looked out of the ordinary. Everything was in its place, though at the same time perhaps it was a bit too neat. “What are you doing, Harry? The pantry’s no place to play.”

Harry glanced from side-to-side nervously, scuffing his foot on the floor. “I’m not playing; I’m thinking of stories.”

In Harry’s defence, he did have a vivid imagination, but his choice of location still struck Sirius as strange. He stepped forwards, ignoring Harry tugging on his sleeve as he peered round the shelving unit to see an empty space.

“What kind of stories?” Sirius enquired curiously as he moved on, heading to the final shelf which hid the back of the room. 

Last time Harry had been acting strangely, hiding himself in the laundry quarter, Sirius had discovered a snake curled up in several sheets. While he could accept that Harry was somehow a Parselmouth, snakes still made Sirius feel uncomfortable, and if he found a group of them round the back…

“There’s one about a tree lady named Willow, who hits people who get too close to her,” Harry said, and Sirius stopped dead in his tracks. “But then she made friends with a wolf boy and became kind, and always made sure he was safe.”

Sirius span around, feeling his mouth go dry and his stomach drop.

“Where did you hear that?” Sirius whispered, dropping to Harry’s level and placing his hand on his shoulders. “Who told you?”

There were two options, and Sirius didn’t know which was worse.

Harry bit his lower lip as he waited to answer. “My friend,” he said quietly. “Please don’t hurt him.”

“Who?” Sirius urged, freezing as he heard footsteps behind him.

“Me,” said a voice - a voice he hadn’t heard in years.

Sirius stood slowly, pulling Harry close to him as he kept his eyes trained on the door.

“It’s been a long time, Sirius,” the voice continued. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

“That we do,” Sirius agreed. “Harry, go and wait outside, please. I’d like to speak to Remus alone.”

***

Remus looked far worse than the last time Sirius had seen him. He was pale and far too skinny, and his face was worn with lines that he should have been too young to have. But his gentle, amber eyes were the same, as was the messy mop of hair that framed his face.

“It’s nice to know that you seem to care about Harry, especially considering you didn’t give a damn about his parents,” Remus said casually, and Sirius flinched at the words. His fears about Remus hating him were correct, then.

“I take the blames for their deaths, Remus,” Sirius replied quietly, his eyes never leaving Remus’s face. “But I didn’t kill them, or turn them over to Voldemort. We switched Secret Keeper.”

“I’m sure,” Remus said dryly. “Who else would they have-?”

“Peter. It was Peter,” Sirius cried, running a hand through his hair. “I knew I’d be the obvious choice, and that the Death Eaters would come for me. If I had stayed Secret Keeper and they’d killed me, James’s location would have been revealed - I knew they’d come for me either way, so I wanted my death to be meaningless. I convinced James and Lily to go for somebody no-one would suspect.”

Remus stared at him, his mouth struggling to make words. “Peter?” he finally managed, looking Sirius up and down. “Why would…? How…? Why should I believe you?”

‘Because I need you to,’ went unsaid.

“Because, Remus,” Sirius tried desperately. “Because everyday I wake up with James’s lifeless face imprinted into my mind. I went to Godric’s Hollow that night, terrified that I’d made a mistake about Peter, and I was right. That decision was the biggest regret of my life, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop hating myself for it - but I don’t want you to hate me, too.”

He took a deep breath, pleased to see that Remus didn’t look angry or disbelieving; just curious.

“But Harry survived,” he continued, voice stronger than before. “And I keep on going for him. He means everything to me, and I’ll accept the blame for his parent’s death, but I didn’t kill them. I’m not a good man, Remus; I’ve done bad things to keep us surviving in the skies, but I never turned against my brother - never.”

Remus’s eyes didn’t seem to blink, time freezing as he stared at Sirius.

“Ok,” Remus said finally. “I believe you.”

Something broke in Sirius then, and he collapsed to his knees, throwing his arms around Remus’s waist. He breathed in, smelling the familiar scent of Remus - candle wax, ink, and chamomile.

“Where’s Peter now?” Remus asked, helping Sirius to his feet again. “Did you ever find him?”

Sirius shook his head bitterly. “I’d planned to, but the world changed and I had Harry to think about. How did Harry find you and get you down here?”

“Remember that werewolf crew who attacked your airship the other day?” Remus said. “I was there. I was about to attack someone and it ended up being you; I froze, and one of your crew blasted me away. I crashed through a door and found Harry inside, and he took me away to hide me because he thought I looked sad when I teared up at the sight of him.”

“The kid has that effect on people,” Sirius explained gently. “What were you doing with a crew like that?”

Remus let out a bitter laugh. “I’m a werewolf, Sirius; what choice did I have? Nobody else would have me, because who wants someone on-board that can change into a killer monster? Nobody except other killer monsters, that’s who. It’s like you said - sometimes you have to do bad things to survive.”

“I ordered my crew to throw a man overboard a couple of weeks back,” Sirius admitted, just so Remus knew what sort of man Sirius was now. “He tried to kidnap Harry so I wanted him dead; I still don’t regret it.”

“Who was it?” Remus asked.

“Mundungus Fletcher,” Sirius answered. “I don’t know if you remember him; short, balding, petty thief…”

“Oh I know him,” Remus said darkly. “He used to sell to Greyback - people, I mean. Greyback’s captain of the werewolf crew, naturally, and he especially likes to get his hands on children so he can turn them. I don’t want to go back to him.”

“You don’t have to,” Sirius promised, not caring that his crew would definitely not approve of having a werewolf on board. All Sirius cared about was that he couldn’t let Remus go now that he had seen him again. “Stay with me.”

Remus nodded. “Alright,” he said.

***

Having Remus back in his life was surprisingly easy.

It was like they hadn’t spent the last eight years apart, with Remus believing Sirius was a Death Eater, and Sirius avoiding any thoughts about Remus. The tension that had once lingered because of their mutual distrust had faded now that they both knew the truth, and their shared anger towards Peter helped bring them closer once more. 

Sirius had moved Remus secretly to his sleeping quarters, where they would spend hours talking about the simple days of their youth, or simply sitting in a comfortable silence. Though the past would never change and things would never truly be the same, Remus helped fill in part of the hole that haunted Sirius’s soul, making him more complete.

And as Sirius’s mood lifted, he was more and more convinced that nothing could go wrong. 

For one, he had Remus, and Remus made him happy. Harry also made Sirius happy, and it pleased him that Remus and Harry got on well, as well. Harry loved listening to Remus telling him the stories that Sirius had found too painful to share.

On top of that, in his better mood he was able to captain the airship better. Rather than spending all day in bed, he hardly slept at all, and put all of his energy into looting and providing for the crew who were very appreciative. 

Even knowing that the full moon would soon be upon them and the crew still didn’t know that Remus was on-board couldn’t dampen Sirius’s spirits. He’d simply lock Remus at the bottom of the airship to keep the crew safe, and keep Remus company by staying with him overnight as Padfoot; it would be fine. 

In the meantime, he’d decided to butter up the crew by throwing a party for Bill’s release from the medical room. The poor boy had been left scarred for life, but he was otherwise healthy and had emerged for the first time from below deck with a smile. 

The crew were never a group to turn down a party, even though it mainly just consisted of drinking and singing folk songs. Ezra and Ophelia brewed their own version Firewhisky - the recipe and method a mystery to the rest of the crew - and Ezra would always make lemonade for Harry so that he didn’t feel left out.

It was in Harry’s hands that he left the crew; Harry was leading them in a dance that only a child could have come up with. Sirius, meanwhile, had bottled up some of the Firewhisky to share with Remus below deck. 

“Do I even want to know how you got your hands on that?” Remus asked when Sirius returned to him. Remus reached for two glasses, anyway.

“A couple of the crew made it,” Sirius murmured as he poured out two shots of the vivid amber liquid. “It’s pretty damn strong.”

“Stronger than the stuff we made that time?” Remus asked with a smile, referring, of course, to the time they, along with James and Peter, had made their own Firewhisky at school. Sirius didn’t remember much of the night that followed the project’s completion, but he did remember waking up and swearing he’d never drink again - he didn’t manage to keep that promise, evidently. 

“No, it’s not as strong as ours was,” Sirius mused, swirling the liquid around in the glass. “But it isn’t shit, either.”

“To not being shit,” Remus said, raising his glass. 

Sirius clinked his glass against Remus’s and they both swallowed the shot, the Firewhisky burning his throat and warming his veins.

“Have you told them yet?” Remus asked quietly after a moment’s pause, pouring himself another glass. “About me, I mean.”

“Not yet,” Sirius answered, shrugging. “I want to make sure that they don’t overreact and try to throw you overboard - we do that sometimes, you know.”

“I wouldn’t blame them if they tried,” Remus muttered, swallowing his second shot in one gulp. “Nobody wants to be near something that could kill them.”

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. “Anything can kill you if you try hard enough. I prefer to embrace the deadlier things in life; if you’re going to die anyway you might as well die doing something exciting.”

“So now the real reason you befriended me comes out,” Remus jested with a sly grin. “You can’t get much more exciting than being mauled by a werewolf.”

Nothing in Sirius’s life was ever stable, except for one thing - he had very poor impulse control. So when the desire to crawl into Remus’s lap came over him, Sirius went with it.

“You can maul me anytime you like, Remus; you know that,” Sirius breathed, his lips mere inches away from Remus’s. 

“Sex isn’t a good coping mechanism for life struggles,” Remus reprimanded gently as his hands edged under Sirius’s shirt to grasp his hips. 

“Neither’s smoking, but that never stopped you,” Sirius pointed out with a fond smile, recalling memories of the four of them up on the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts at night, cigarettes in hand as they watched the stars go by. 

“Touché,” Remus said. Then he pressed his lips to Sirius’s.

Sirius liked meaningless sex. He liked losing himself in pleasure, and allowing his body a release from his mind. But Remus kissed better than anyone Sirius knew, and his touch left a trail of fire on Sirius’s skin. Sirius had never been more aware of his body than when Remus was touching him, tasting him and moving inside him. 

Sex with Remus wasn’t meaningless like Sirius had expected it to be, and that was when everything started going wrong.

Sirius wouldn’t be able to give Remus up now, even if he tried - and attachment that strong was dangerous living in a world like theirs.

So when Rosmerta burst into his sleeping quarters the following morning, Sirius knew that there’d be trouble. 

But when she told him that Harry was missing, Sirius knew he needed to keep Remus at all costs, otherwise he’d completely fall apart.

***

“You’ve checked every corner, every nook and cranny?” Sirius demanded of a tearful Esi. “Don’t hurt him! He’s not a prisoner.”

Ezra and Ophelia glared darkly at Sirius, holding tightly on Remus’s wrists after they shoved him to his knees.

“This monster’s probably the one who took Harry,” Ophelia snarled, spitting over the edge of the deck. 

The crew nodded in agreement, all of them forming a large circle around Sirius and Remus.

“Remus was with me all night,” Sirius spat, his patience rapidly dwindling. “And what good is accusing Remus anyway? We should be out there looking for Harry!”

“Greyback left his insignia,” Aberforth spoke up, holding up a golden coin that had been indented with a bloody claw mark. “Lupin belongs to Greyback’s crew - I’ll bet he was passing information over to him.”

“I’m not!” Remus insisted. “I’m not even part of Greyback’s crew anymore - if you don’t return to the airship after an attack then you’re as good as dead to him.”

“How did he know Harry was here then?” Bill hissed, surprising Sirius by speaking up. “They came in the middle of the night and left without a sound; they couldn’t be that stealthy unless they knew what they were looking for.”

“Any of the others might have seen Harry when they attacked you last,” Remus tried, and Sirius was struck with cold remembering how Harry had been watching from the window of the captain’s cabin. “Greyback hunts children to turn them - he got his hands on the Malfoy’s boy last month. I swear to you that I had nothing to do with it, but I will help you get Harry back.”

“Give us one reason why we should trust you,” Pravin said darkly, training his wand on Remus which prompted others to do the same.

“Because I trust him, and as captain you do as I say,” Sirius answered loudly, drawing all eyes to him.

Remus had believed Sirius when he had told him about Peter, and Sirius trusted in Remus now. He knew that Remus truly loved Harry, and though going with Greyback had been survival to Remus, handing over children to him wasn’t - Remus wouldn’t have done it.

“You can stand here and fight with Remus all you want,” Sirius continued, pacing the inner circle formed by the crew. “But I trust Remus, and I know he’s going to be our biggest key in getting Harry back. And frankly, I don’t care if you agree with me about that, but saving Harry is our priority right now.”

The crew exchanged glances with one another and looked between Remus and Sirius in silence, until finally, Esi spoke.

“Right you are, Captain,” she said, and was met with nods of agreement. “Let’s go get our baby back.”

The crew cheered, and Ezra and Ophelia lifted Remus to his feet; Ezra even patted him on the back apologetically. 

“Well, Lupin,” Aberforth said once the cheering had died down. “Anything to say for yourself?”

“Greyback never stays far from a bazaar, especially near a full moon,” Remus answered, gaining himself a few respectful looks by jumping into action rather than begging for forgiveness or trust. “There’s four nights until the next full moon, but there’s only one bazaar near our current location, so our searching range is actually decently small.”

“But how do we get close enough without Greyback noticing?” Rosmerta queried, her eyes edging towards the canons which Sirius knew she was dying to use.

Remus didn’t answer straight away, pursing his lips in the same way he always used to right before he’d tell James or Sirius something they didn’t want to hear.

“You,” Remus said softly, turning towards Bill. “You were attacked by a werewolf, which means Greyback would let you get close. Between us we could pretend that we’ve hijacked the airship while the rest of the crew hide below, ready to jump out when we’re close enough. It will be like a kind of Trojan Horse.”

Most of the crew looked bewildered at the mention of the Trojan Horse. Remus had always been into Greek mythology, though, and as a result Sirius knew the stories. It seemed a good a plan as any, and Sirius really didn’t have the energy to listen to any other suggestions.

His heart was pounding in his ears, getting louder and louder as he allowed his feet to carry him away from the group. Despite being out in the open, it felt like he was trapped, and he couldn’t be there any longer.

Sirius ran to the captain’s cabin and stumbled before the table inside, falling to his knees. He banged his fist on the heavy wood, and again, and again. His hand throbbed but Sirius didn’t stop hitting, not even when the door opened and someone stepped inside.

“We’ll get him back, Sirius,” Remus said softly, placing his hand on Sirius’s shoulder. “Greyback won’t hurt him, and we’ll get him back before the moon. I promise.”

Sirius stopped banging the table, and allowed his forehead to drop onto it with a light thud.

“I promised James,” he croaked, breathing in deeply the scent of mahogany and candle wax. “I can’t let James down.”

“We’ll get him back,” Remus repeated, tightening his hold on Sirius’s shoulder. “We’ll get him back.”

***

Two days later, they’d finally chased down Greyback’s airship.

Sirius’s mood had been constantly flittering between hardened determination and hopelessness. He knew he’d been hard on the crew, constantly driving them forwards with little time for rest, but he doubted they’d have taken a break even if Sirius had offered them one.

The sky was a vast place, and Harry and Greyback could be anywhere. And after the full moon they wouldn’t even have a target range - it was beyond urgent that they found Harry now while they had a much better chance of that happening.

Sirius had led the crew to the bazaar, where they had targeted airship captains and smugglers to extract any possible information about Greyback. Sirius had specifically told his crew that if they had reason to suspect that somebody was hiding something, then they could get it out of them using any means necessary.

They had eventually come across a butcher who supplied meat to Greyback’s airship, and who had been more than happy to tell them Greyback’s last known location when Ophelia threatened him with his own cleaver. They Obliviated him afterwards and went on their way.

It was torture for Sirius, waiting below deck as Remus and Bill were out on top, negotiating with Greyback. Charlie was equally on-edge, worried for his brother, and Sirius clapped his shoulder comfortingly. But it was all Sirius could do not to go storming up there and slaughtering Greyback before tearing his airship apart - Esi and Rosmerta had warned him against doing that, however, and they wouldn’t hesitate to stop him if he tried.

Waiting for Remus’s signal seemed to drag on for ages. When three stomps finally sounded from the top deck, Sirius was the first to spring into action, though the crew were right behind him.

With their wands drawn they burst through the door onto the deck. Their airship was moored next to Greyback’s, the grey-rimmed sail billowing in the wind.

There was enough room to jump from one airship to the other with ease, and the crew did so with gusto, moving so quickly that Greyback’s crew didn’t even have time to get over their surprise.

They quickly drew their own wands, however, and the deck was filled with bright flashes of every colour. Ezra and Ophelia had brought knives, as well, fighting off the werewolves who had given up magic in exchange for their animalistic side.

Remus disappeared amongst the crowd, and Sirius had no idea where he was. He knew Harry was locked up below deck somewhere, but he wouldn’t be able to get down there until Greyback’s crew were taken care of. 

He sent a Stunning spell at a woman on his left, and a Slicing hex at another who had been about to attack Pravin from behind. She collapsed to the floor clutching her side, blood spilling over her hands. 

It was perhaps the smell of fresh blood that drew Greyback his way. Greyback was easily recognisable, larger and hairier than all the others, and shirtless save for a grey fur cloak that he had draped across his shoulders.

His eyes locked with Sirius’s, and a cruel smile crossed his face, flashing teeth that were yellowed and chipped. He was revolting, and Sirius hoped desperately that he hadn’t been the one to take Harry.

Greyback lunged for him just as Sirius managed to cast a Tripping Jinx. Greyback just managed to dodge but his aim was thrown off, sending both him and Sirius to the floor in a heap.

Sirius was flat on his back as Greyback came for him again, crouched on all fours like an animal. Sirius threw his arms up, trying to hold Greyback as far away as he could from him. He grimaced as spit from Greyback’s mouth landed on his cheek, and in response he brought his knee up in into Greyback’s groin.

Greyback groaned and his grip loosened, but not enough for Sirius to free himself. The crew were too busy fighting their own opponents to help him, and his arms were shaking with the effort of keeping Greyback away from him.

Then, without warning, Greyback let out a grunt of pain and his eyes glazed over as he toppled off Sirius. With Greyback gone, Sirius could see Harry in front of him holding onto a gold scroll holder, still poised in the air from where it had collided with Greyback’s head.

After giving Harry a once over to make sure he wasn’t injured, Sirius leapt on Greyback while he had the chance, slamming his fist into his face over and over again until Sirius’s knuckles were bleeding from the force of it. After Sirius could take no more he Stunned Greyback, and bound his arms and legs so he couldn’t escape if he woke up.

He surged towards Harry once he was done, pulling him into a tight hug. He didn’t let go for several moments, and it said a lot that Harry didn’t try to pull away like he normally did if Sirius hugged him for what was too long for a nine-year-old boy. 

“Are you alright, Harry? Are you hurt?” Sirius questioned rapidly, eyeing Harry much more critically now he had time. “How did you get out?”

“I lost my hat,” Harry grumbled, pulling at his loose hair. “Draco helped break me out when we heard the noise; he’s my friend.”

Sirius’s attention was drawn towards a blond boy standing nearby who looked to be the same age as Harry, too much like Lucius Malfoy to be anyone but his son. 

“Thank you, Draco,” Sirius smiled. “It means a lot.”

“Can Draco come with us?” Harry asked, tugging on Sirius’s sleeve. “He doesn’t like it here very much.”

Sirius knew for a fact that Lucius and Narcissa were dead; Remus had told him that Greyback had killed them and taken Draco in revenge for Lucius insulting Greyback. Draco didn’t know the fate of his parents, and Sirius wasn’t going to tell him - but he wasn’t going to leave him with Greyback’s crew either. Sirius would love to take the other children, but he couldn’t physically manage it - without Greyback in charge, they should have a less violent upbringing, though.

Harry and Draco kept close to Sirius as he helped finish off the lingering attackers, while the children and weaker crew huddled in a corner, subdued. The sight of Harry brought a smile to the crew’s faces, and it spurred them on to fight even harder until they were once again victorious. Sirius felt his heart lift when he saw Remus amongst the crew, beaming triumphantly.

Sirius nodded at Remus to get his attention and glanced down at Greyback. He led Harry and Draco back to The Tattooed Lily, turning back just in time to see Remus direct the crew in throwing Greyback overboard. Sirius would have done it himself, but he didn’t want Harry to see that side of him. 

The crew came to join them, and Remus returned not long after, having given his old crew an ‘impassioned speech’, in Remus’s words. They’d promised to leave them well alone from now on, Remus promised.

So with that sorted, and the airship flying away back into the wide open skies, there was only one thing left to do - Sirius strode over to Remus, and kissed him right there in front of everyone. 

Remus let out a noise of surprise but kissed him back eagerly. When they pulled apart it was to mostly grinning faces - Harry was bright red and Esi had clapped her hands over Draco’s eyes - and they even got a wink off Rosmerta.

Remus was one of them now.

***

“Full speed ahead,” Remus ordered, pointing ahead at the open blue sky that lay in front of them.

The crew jumped into action, though Rosmerta stopped what she was doing to look up at Remus on the mast with a sly grin on her face.

“Always knew Sirius liked them bossy,” she said with a wink before resuming her work.

“See, told you they’d listen to you,” Sirius smiled, wrapping an arm around Remus’s shoulders.

Sirius had always put Harry ahead of The Tattooed Lily, but he hadn’t actually realised that the crew did too. Helping to save Harry had become Remus’s defining feature, rather than the lycanthropy that the crew had judged him on before. Remus had become part of their family; a misfit who just wanted to belong, just like the rest of them.

“Makes a change to actually have someone listen,” Remus pointed out with a smirk, turning his head to press a chaste kiss to Sirius’s cheek. 

Sirius still wasn’t quite sure how to define what he and Remus were, but he supposed it didn’t matter. They were friends, and they were also lovers; they didn’t need a label - they just were. 

“Careful near the edge, Harry,” Sirius called down to Harry, who was peering over the edge of the airship with Draco by his side. When Harry didn’t respond, Sirius called his name again.

Esi went over to Harry, clapping her hand over her mouth as she looked over the edge of the airship.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance, hurrying down the netting of the mast as the rest of the crew dropped what they were doing to see what Harry and Esi were looking at.

“What is it, Sirius?” Harry asked as Sirius approached, pointing down towards the golden fog.

But when Sirius looked over the edge, he saw that it wasn’t entirely golden fog below. There was a circular patch that was clear, revealing a contrasting mix of blue and yellow. They were too high to see details, but Sirius swore he could see the white of waves crashing onto the shore. 

Rich memories of frolicking in the water burst forth in Sirius’s mind; it was a feeling he had longed for but not attained in such a long time.

“That’s our old home, Harry,” Sirius said, his voice faint with awe.

“Is the fog clearing?” Rosmerta asked to nobody in particular. “Do you think it will close up again?”

“I’ve never seen it like that before; not once in all these years,” Pravin answered, holding a telescope up to his eye as he looked down. “There doesn’t seem to be anybody down there - there’s no way to tell if it’s safe or not.”

“This is what we’ve been looking for,” Aberforth spoke up. “We can’t waste the opportunity. I’ll go down first; I’m the eldest here and I’ve already lived my life; it won’t matter if it kills me.”

“We’re not sacrificing any of us,” Sirius snapped, reaching out to pull Harry back from the edge as he eagerly tried to lean even further over the side.

Sirius truly wanted to see the land, though; Harry and Draco’s eagerness was telling, as was the obvious pining from the crew - they all longed for it dearly.

“Maybe we don’t have to,” Remus said slowly, running off to the captain’s cabin and returning with a small box which was glowing with a silver shimmer. “I was planning to surprise you on the 31st of October with this, Sirius, but I think opening it now would be just as satisfying.”

Sirius took the box, and pulled the string that bound it together.

“Careful,” Remus murmured. “I don’t know how he’ll react.”

Sirius froze, a wide grin making its way onto his face as he tore open the box to see a rat cowering in the corner.

“How do you know it’s him?” Sirius breathed, reaching down to grasp the squirming rat tightly.

“I used to see him a lot on Greyback’s airship and assumed he was a regular rat,” Remus explained. “Then when we went for Harry I heard his voice - he was telling one of Greyback’s wives that I was a traitor; apparently she kept him safe and in return he’d spy on others and give her information that she could pretend came from her to make her Greyback’s favourite. I Stunned them both and took Peter as a gift for you.”

“This rat,” Sirius emphasised for the rest of the crew, “is the man that killed Harry’s parents.”

Remus set his wand over the animal, and Sirius dropped it as the rat morphed into a short, balding man who Sirius had only seen in the last few years in his murder fantasies. 

“Sirius!” Peter cried, sinking onto the ground and holding his hands in the air. “You’re a madman! I’d never…!”

“You were on my airship!” Draco announced, grabbing the telescope off Pravin and throwing it at Peter’s head. “You were there the day before I got kidnapped!”

“Bind him,” Sirius ordered of Ezra and Ophelia. “Make sure he can’t transform back into a rat either - Pravin will help you with that. Tonight, we go lower - and Peter will help us determine just how low.”

He sent his once friend a cruel smile, turning away from him as Ezra and Ophelia dragged him below deck, ignoring his pleas for help.

Sirius strolled to the middle of the deck, holding his arms out wide as the crew all turned to stare at him.

“What now, Captain?” Charlie asked, a wide smile across his face.

Sirius looked down at Harry, and then to Remus, keeping their eyes locked as he spoke.

“Now,” Sirius said, “our world just got a little bit bigger.”


End file.
